Reach Out For Zero
by Total Absolutism
Summary: The night before the summoning, Louise has a strange dream that she can barely recall. Then she calls forth a monster that wears her face. Around her the world is becoming stranger and now she is faced with a ancient mystery with nobody to help her unravel it; save for those that exist between dream and reality. "Ah... it seems we have a guest with a terrible burden..."
1. Reach Out For Shadow

"Ah... it seems we have a guest with a terrible burden..."

Louise awoke with a start to an unfamiliar rocking motion. She knew it ought to be the morning of the Springtime Familiar Summoning Ceremony... yet she was seated on a lush blue couch inside what a wood-panelled room. There was a distant sound of wind and water that put her at once in mind of some sort of ship. Opposite her sat two figures; an elderly butler-looking man with an abnormally long nose and bulging eyes as well as a pale-haired, pale-skinned young man wearing a blue uniform of some sort; the former seated in a chair in front of a wide glass window and the latter standing attentively at his side.

"My name is Igor... I am delighted to make your acquaintance, even under these unfortunate circumstances..." Outside the window was an empty blackness, like a midsummer night's sky, but with a shifting web of light in place of the stars that shifted slowly; moving independently of the faint rocking motion of their vessel. Louise was certain that she ought to be distraught but instead she felt more like she was still half-asleep. The old man, Igor, leaned forward and rested his chin upon his steepled hands.

"This place exists between dream and reality... between mind and matter... it is a room that can only be entered by those who have been bound by a 'contract'. Such an arrangement has brought you here tonight. Now then... might I have the pleasure of your name, dear girl?" The words and the smile ought to be kindly, yet it was hard to see them as such due to the unpleasant appearance of the speaker.

"Louise Françoise Le Blanc de La Vallière." She answered automatically, full name rolling off the tongue with practised ease. Igor nodded; as if the asking had been no more than a formality. With a flicker of a hand he gestured at a pile of cards stacked up on a small fold-out side table that lay between them. They spread out and flipped themselves over to reveal suits and shapes she didn't recognise.

"Normally I would speak of you about your fortune... but, alas, the destiny that has been laid upon you is not yet yours for the making." His over-long fingers extended towards the cards and they rearranged themselves once more to match his explanation. "Past... Present... Future... Tower... Judgement... Fool." The large 'zero' emblazoned on the latter card almost seemed to mock her, but even so Louise still didn't understand any of this...

"What was and what is are finally coming into conflict. The past is, at last, releasing its stranglehold on the future; upon your present. Yet, if you wish to see this turmoil through, you must seek to expand your horizons. If there is any hope of escaping the shackles of fate it lies within you. Your first chance to fight destiny is fast approaching and there is little we can do to help you." Almost as an afterthought the bizarre little man smiled and waved at the silent boy to his left.

"This is Theodore, my assistant. If you can find your way back to this place then he will do what he can to aid you. For as long as the Seal upon your world lasts my visits will, sadly, be few and far between. Should you survive the coming days then perhaps there will be a chance to for you to thwart the will of your ancestors. Or, perhaps, you will embrace it?" Igor shrugged and grinned at her. "Only time will tell. We shall have to see. Until we meet again, farewell."

Questions rose and died on her lips as the colours began to drain away. Louise tried to reach out and...

* * *

Light streamed in through the window. Louise stared at her outstretched hand with dull confusion. There had been... lights. A room? Then... she couldn't remember. Just a dream, and of no consequence. Today was the day of the Summoning Ceremony! A very important rite of passage for any young Tristainian Noble. She immediately pulled herself out of bed and dressed as quickly as she dared; if it was light outside she was already dangerously close to being late.

She wasn't late, as it so happened, but she was one of the last arrivals. It took some time to work their way through all of the students and she couldn't help but look on enviously as all sorts of wondrous creatures came into being. When it was at last her turn she took the stage, metaphorically speaking, to a mixture of amused silence and hateful whispers. Louise ignored all of them in favour of raising her wand with pride.

"I, Louise Françoise Le Blanc de La Vallière, in the name of the Five Elemental Powers, following my fate, summon a familiar." She refused to make a big scene for this uncouth rabble; their behaviour clearly marked them as barely better than the commonfolk. All she needed to do was prove her worth through her magic directly. The power building in her was palpable and it quickly rose to a crescendo that culminated in, rather predictably, an explosion.

When they began to laugh it was quiet at first. One or two spoke to their friends in fake whispers; things like, 'Looks like the Zero has done it again', and worse besides. Louise's knuckles went white as she clenched her wand tightly. The smoke cleared to reveal an empty pentagram and, shortly thereafter, a sympathetic looking Professor Colbert. He shot a look at the tittering students and then returned to her with a kindly gaze.

"Try again, Miss Vallière. Not everyone succeeds the first time." That wasn't _un_ true, but first or even second time failures weren't usually accompanied by an explosion. So Louise cast the spell again. Then again. And once more besides that. By the fourth attempt the mockery had become an open discussion between her peers; each one trying to find new and interesting ways to call her a nothing again. This was it. She had failed.

"That's right. You _are_ a failure, aren't you?" A sharp, yet familiar, voice cut through the air. As the smoke cleared this time something stood there; the Professor let out a little gasp of shock when he saw not one but _two_ Louises standing opposite each other. One outside the circle, and one within it. Louise could see that the duplicate had a hateful little smile and glowing yellow eyes. Was it a Doppelganger, perhaps? Or maybe something even more sinister? It had spoken to her, but its words were dripping with contempt.

"What's the point of trying any more? You're never going to be as good as our mother. You're never going to be as good as our sister! You're never going to be anything more than a _Zero!_ " Seeing Louise face to face with a near-exact replica of itself that was spewing the same rhetoric as them seemed to amuse her classmates... at first. They grew ever more silent with every new hateful word that spewed from the thing's mouth.

"They'd all be better off if you didn't exist, and you know it. You just want to give up. Give up on magic, give up on this academy, give up on these worthless idiots... give up on _life_. What reason is there to exist if you can't do magic?" Someone in the crowd had gasped when it said that and Louise had taken a step back. Her face had grown hot with pain, and tears, and shame.

"You... s-stop... you're my familiar, aren't you? Why are you... why would you say those things!" Her pained cry only seemed to excite it. Like a wolf smelling fresh blood. Its nasty smirk widened into a vicious grin as it stepped out of the circle and began to advance on her. Everyone seemed paralysed with indecision; nobody knowing what to do.

"Stupid. You know you can't summon a familiar. Just like you know that you're _never_ going to be a real mage. Just like _we_ know you're never going to be a mage. You know because it's the truth! And I know... because I'm _you_. I am your Shadow, Louise! I am everything you refuse to admit to yourself! Every harsh truth that you deny because you don't want to accept how worthless you are!" Almost involuntarily Louise swung her wand upwards to point at the thing. It stopped advancing but didn't retreat; staring at her like a cat with a cornered mouse.

"No... you're... you're wrong. I don't... I'm not like that... I'm not like this... you... you can't be me! You're nothing like me!" It recoiled back from her and for a moment Louise thought she had the upper hand. But then its mouth broke into a grin that was suddenly very sharp.

"That's right... I'm _not_ you. I'm _me_ now. And soon, neither of us will be anything!" There was a blast of light and wind that radiated outwards from the creature and knocked Louise, and most of her class, to the ground. Professor Colbert had been moving in behind it and thus had caught the brunt of the blast; being knocked all the way across the courtyard into the far wall where he slumped and lay motionless. Dust kicked up by the surge of air began to fall again as some awful, towering _thing_ rose above them.

It was... her. She stood tall, taller than she ever had before; twice the height and yet still hunched over. Arrayed along her back and shoulders were buildings that seemed to burst out of her Academy robes; their weight caused the monster-Louise to be almost bent double. Extending from its back was another body that looked just like her yet also, at the same time, her mother. That body was leaning over the hunched form and had reached around to hold the first head by the chin. In the other hand there was a wooden cross with chains extending downwards from it that pierced through the hands and feet of the main body with iron hooks.

 **"I AM A SHADOW... THE TRUE SELF. I SHALL DESTROY ALL MY BURDENS; STARTING WITH YOU!"  
**  
When it spoke the smaller torso jerked at the jaw of the larger body in a caricature of puppetry. Its spare hand twisted and the massive arm swung out. Louise screamed and, in spite of herself, managed to roll to one side before the hand crushed her into a bloody pulp. There were other cries from around her; some of fear and still others of magic. Fire and air and earth flung out to strike harmlessly upon the creature; a single jerk of the puppeteer's arm was enough to make a vast hand swing wide; the wind it carried with it swept the student body backwards and off their feet once more.

 **"WHY RESIST? YOU DESIRE THIS AS MUCH AS I DO."  
**  
Louise forced herself to stand and, without hesitation, turned and ran. There was a thunderous noise as the monster charged after her; the immense weight on its back causing it to stumble with every step. It caught itself with its hands and managed a sort of running crawl in pursuit of her. Every muscle screamed, her lungs rebelled, her stomach felt like it was about to empty itself and still she ran for the main door out of the courtyard.

She hit it at a run and tumbled through; crashing hard against the mercifully soft far wall. There was no more thunderous crashing, no more chasing monster. Instead... blissful silence, and cool air. Confused and in pain, Louise pulled herself up and looked around to find... Blue. Everywhere blue. The dream from last night... all the memories flooded back at once. That old man with the long nose and freakish eyes wasn't here; but the beautiful young man with the white hair was watching her quietly. Her whole body was trembling as she rose to her feet.

"What... what is going on? Who are you people? What is that... that _thing_?" The young man regarded her dispassionately for an uncomfortable amount of time before responding.

"If it would be easier for you to remember then you may, of course, call me Theo." His statement was so at odds with what she had just asked that she had no response for him other than a blank, confused stare. Then her eye began to twitch. It had been a fairly rough morning for her, all told.

"I don't _care_ what your name is! I want to know what that thi-" The hurt expression on his angelic face drew her up short as she realised she was screaming at what might be the only person capable of helping her at all. Louise closed her eyes, took a deep breath, or five, and started from the beginning. " _Theo_. I just barely escaped from a thing that looked like me, that taunted me in front of all my classmates, then turned into a giant monster and tried to murder me. So I would very much like some answers." His saintly expression didn't change much even in light of her explanation, save that he broke into a beatific smile.

"Ah. Well, you haven't actually escaped from it. When you leave the Velvet Room no time will have passed." The eye twitch was back. That was not what she had wanted to hear. "That thing is you. A shadow is everything about yourself that you refuse to acknowledge made manifest. Rejecting it made it go berserk; whereupon it tried to kill you. That's normal." There was another awkward silence followed by quiet, hysterical giggling.

"Oh. Of course. What else? Well, I'm so glad that it's _normal_ for giant monsters that think they're me to want to kill me! How wonderful it is to know that! Hahaha! What a very useful bit of information!" Her maddened laughter grew increasingly erratic until she collapsed back on to the seat behind her in a fit of hyperventilation.

"It's not a thing of this world. Not entirely. The magic of your people won't have a great effect on it. In fact, the only one that can hurt it is you. Unfortunately, you can't hurt it." She had to resist the urge to launch herself across the tiny room and throttle him. It wouldn't help. It certainly wouldn't help. It probably wouldn't help. But she would feel _so_ much better...

"Fortunately, you managed to return here. I can give you this." Theo reached into a side compartment of the carriage-room and pulled out... a flintlock pistol. Which he then handed to her. Louise almost took it by reflex but, at the last moment, her hand jerked back and she looked at it like it was a dead rat.

"If magic can't hurt it, then how is a _pistol_ going to help me?" The pale boy shook his head and seemed amused by something in her query. She didn't think it was funny; she thought it was legitimate.

"It's not for her; it's for you. This isn't a pistol. The inventors called it an Evoker; I remade this especially for this world. It can force out your inner power and help you fight her. However, you must remember that it's merely a tool. Relying on it too much won't be good for her." He held it out again and after much internal deliberation Louise took it. The weapon felt heavy in her hands.

"How do I... _use_ it?" And that question made Theo look at her with clear incredulity. He sighed deeply and she felt her cheeks burning with embarrassment.

"You'll figure it out, I'm sure. Now; off you go! Time's wasting, after all!" Louise stood with what resolve she could muster and stepped for the door. Then something he said popped into her head and she paused with a frown.

"Wait, but you sai-" A hand on her back shoving her out the door cut off any further thought; a situation accentuated by needing to dive forward in order to avoid a gigantic palm coming straight for her. Louise scrambled forward as best she could; rising to her feet as she went and running for her life once again as she rushed between the monster's legs. It turned with disturbing swiftness and screamed an inhuman scream as skidded to a halt.

Louise turned to face it. The pistol was clasped in her left hand and her wand in her right. Theo had said it was for _her,_ and not the monster... and it was a gun... so was she meant to...? Her hand trembled as she lifted it up and the mere act caused the creature to halt its approach in order to watch her.

 **"YES... WHY NOT GIVE IN? SURRENDER TO THE INEVITABLE... YOU ALWAYS KNEW IT WOULD COME TO THIS, DIDN'T YOU?"  
**  
She clenched her teeth and tightened her grip until her knuckles went white. Yet the rising chill in her wasn't fear this time; it was fury. This thing... this _abomination_ dared to tell her what she wanted? How she felt? What she ought to do? No. She was Louise Françoise Le Blanc de La Vallière! _Nobody_ told her what to do!

"This isn't giving up, monster. This is fighting!" It didn't hurt when she pulled the trigger. There was a sound like shattering glass and a feeling like something tearing out of her. Light and wind rushed from the back of her head and she felt _something_ there.

 _"I am thou..."  
_  
A voice rang out; quiet yet firm, and resonating in the hearts of all who heard it.

 _"Thou art I..."  
_  
She could _feel_ its arms and legs as if they were her own. See through its eyes. Hear through its ears. Felt her own mouth forming the very same words it did.

 _"From the sea of thy soul, I have come..."  
_  
Something about this caused the monster to scream. In fear, or pain, or rage; or some mixture of the three. It launched itself at her only for the being behind her to shoot out many times faster than the creature had ever been able to move. They slammed into each other with a titanic impact that, surprisingly, came out in favour of the smaller of the two. Whatever she had brought forth was barely bigger than her, an unimpressive hooded figure, and yet its charge had knocked the monstrous facsimile of herself backwards into the wall of the Academy.

 _"I am the one who protects..."  
_  
In utter defiance of all reason the smaller torso shoved at the ground and managed to haul the whole creature up on to its knees by pulling at the lower body alone. It then released the chin of the creature in order to reach one hand to the sky. Blackness began to gather there as it jerked the wooden cross about to guide the horror's arms in wild strikes at her creation.

 _"And who_ _ **punishes**_ _."  
_  
There was a flash of white light as the hooded being unsheathed a sword that burned like the sun. One of the arms of the giant was cleaved right off and immediately dissolved away into nothingness. Seemingly panicked, the puppeteer flung the black sphere at its enemy. To no avail, as it turned out, because the sword of light swatted it aside. The orb of darkness struck one of the exterior walls and exploded; sending stone and mortar flying outwards, away from the Academy.

 _ **"I am Gandálfr, the LEFT HAND OF GOD!"  
**_  
It swung its shining blade upwards and a pillar of light emerged from the ground. The flesh of the monster burned away as the radiance rose to the heavens and parted the clouds above. Louise collapsed to her knees as she felt a sudden wave of exhaustion rolling over her. Moments later the... the _thing_ she had called forth lowered its blade and the beam of destructive light ceased. Then, rather unceremoniously, it disappeared with the sound of breaking glass and a flicker of light.

Louise could feel it, however. Inside her. Quiescent in the manner of a great beast; wound tight and ready to spring forth the moment she called. It was an unnerving sensation. The devastation that surrounded them was equally so. Her reverie of confusion was interrupted by a groan of pain from the crater left by the final attack. With quickly growing trepidation Louise forced herself to her feet and stumbled over.

The original form of the thing was laid there in tattered robes, groaning in pain. When it caught sight of her it fell silent and stared at her with a look of sullen resentment. After all that... it was still here? But why? Louise looked at the not-gun in her hands, the 'evoker', and thought back to what Theo had said. Then she thought about the thing... the form it had taken... what it looked like. She sighed. Of course. If that was how it started, then of course this must be how it finished.

"... you are me." The sullen look instantly became one of shock and confusion. It looked at her with suspicion and immense distrust as she stepped to the edge of the crater and leaned down to offer it her hand. "Sometimes, I can't stand all the pressure. Sometimes I do wish I could just end all of it. The teasing, the expectations, the responsibilities. I wish I could give it all up. Maybe, sometimes, that even makes me consider doing things that... that are rather drastic." As she spoke the thing, the Shadow, hesitantly reached out until their hands touched and she pulled it up and out of the crater.

"But those thoughts... those feelings... they're a part of me. You're a part of me. Just because I feel overwhelmed sometimes doesn't mean I'm weak. Just because I want to give up sometimes doesn't mean I will. Just because I fail... it doesn't mean I can't succeed. You need to remember that when I feel that way... I just think of all the reasons I have to carry on. That we have to carry on. You are me... but I'm you, too."

Louise enfolded herself in a hug. When she stepped back nothing had really changed; in the end, there was only her. There was _always_ only her.

And right now, she just hoped that this still counted as a successful summoning.


	2. Reach Out For Mercy

"Jean confirmed that she didn't have it before starting the ritual. According to what he saw she ran away from the creature, entered the hall, then immediately came back out with it in hand." Rough hands turned the gun around and around as their owner examined them; seemingly oblivious to the nervous babble from Headmaster Osmond. They examined it from every angle and even pulled the trigger several times; each one producing a satisfying 'click' sound, but nothing else. This caused the woman to frown; which, in turn, made the Headmaster swallow heavily.

The reason for that was the occupant of his office; _Duchess Karin Désirée de la Vallière,_ also known as _The Heavy Wind._ It wasn't a secret but nor was it a widely known fact. From time to time there were those that laughed at the apparent strangeness of her Runic Name; such folly was quickly accompanied by fierce regret when they were properly admonished by those who **just knew better**. One did not laugh at the nickname of a woman capable of demolishing entire villages with a single spell.

Currently, the Headmaster was more or less making a mud brick house in his pants over the inciting incident of the visit. Namely, that the daughter of the aforementioned terrifying woman had been almost killed by her own summoned familiar before slaying it with some bizarre method that had seemed to involve shooting herself in the head. Professor Colbert's explanation had been a little bit frantic at the time and so he'd sent the man for a stiff drink and a lie down. He had no idea how word had gotten to the Duchess so quickly but he'd been roused from his bed just before dawn by one of the servants shrilly informing him that a woman had landed in the courtyard on a Manticore and was currently occupying his office.

"This isn't a gun." Straight to the point, was Karin. He'd already sent someone to splash cold water on Jean until he was sober enough to drag over here. Let him be a buffer against the woman's inexorable wrath. "Nowhere to put the powder. It cocks itself as well, although I'm not sure how. Then there's this..." She pointed at something that, to his credit, Osmond had also noticed during his examinations. The wood and metal were flawlessly fused. There were no pins nor screws in the handle anywhere; as if this entire thing had been hewn from a single block of... something. Except for the moving parts. Which were also irremovable.

Of course that was what she'd focus on. Not even a question he could attempt, and fail, to answer. Like what the creature that Louise had summoned was, since it had vanished without a trace; not how she'd destroyed it, an event that had left a five meter wide hemisphere literally burned out of the lawn the summoning had occurred in and that had apparently been visible _from the Capital_ ; nor even how she'd gotten the weapon itself, the answer to which was still a resounding 'nobody could tell him'. Even Louise herself had been... well, he'd not felt like it was even appropriate to try and question her at length. The girl had been rather exhausted and more than a little distraught.

With good reason, given... well... "And tell me, Headmaster... what did it say to her?" Yes. Well. Given _that_. Because he'd gotten precise and detailed transcripts of the things that the creature had said to Louise and they were very, _very_ disturbing. Osmond didn't wish to repeat them out loud. Instead, he silently slid the neatly written parchment across the desk to Karin. Miss Longueville had been shaking as she took the dictation from the witnesses and he didn't blame her. The Duchess' reaction was almost non-extant, however; she read it without so much as a comment or a raised brow. Then she pushed it back at him.

"I am going to speak to my daughter. When I return we _will_ be discussing precisely how the behaviour of your students went uncorrected for so long." At that she waved the pistol; which was then placed inside her waistcoat. Osmond didn't challenge her as she left with it still in her possession. What was there that he could say, really? From her point of view he had failed utterly as an educator and a guardian. Even if she'd accused him of such directly to his face... he wasn't sure he would have anything to refute it.

* * *

"I must say, I didn't expect you to return so soon." Louise's eyes opened as she felt a very familiar motion. There was a gentle rocking back and forth, along with the distant sound of creaking wood and water. Once more the bug-eyed, long-nosed, balding man that called himself 'Igor' sat across from her along with the young man he called his 'assistant', Theodore. "You must have a great will indeed to return to the Velvet Room like this so quickly." That name... Theo had called it that as well. It sounded like the name one would give to their sitting room rather than something as mystical as this.

"I've already returned once, though." She sat up straight as she spoke; having been laid out across the soft seats once more upon her awakening. If she was even awake, that is. Part of her felt like perhaps she had just... dreamed it all. Yet this felt strangely real. Opposite her Theo smiled faintly as his master chuckled to himself. There was a deck of cards on the folded out table that Igor picked up and began to shuffle idly.

"This place is more than it seems, Miss Vallière. It exists in many places at once, but also no place at all. Congruent to all time and space, and yet apart from it. The Room that exists within your world is a place I am denied entry; Theodore's ability to travel there was very difficult to arrange." So this wasn't real at all but was also entirely real? Her head hurt. "When you dream your mind and soul are... adrift. I did not bring you here in either occasion; the first time I _called_ , yes, but _you_ were the one to answer. Now you have found me of your accord and I applaud your strength."

Igor dealt a lone card on to the table and then passed the deck to Theodore; who took it and held it with clear reverence. Then he flipped the card over and revealed an infuriatingly familiar number; the zero proudly emblazoned along the bottom. The old man smiled at her clear distaste and shook his head. "Whatever _else_ it may be the Fool must not be underestimated, my dear. In many ways it is the strongest of the Arcana even as much as it is the weakest." His spindly fingers touched the card and shifted it in an arc across the table. Other cards were left behind by its passing and each one seemed to shimmer with a strange power.

He smiled at her then and reversed his motion; leaving nothing but the original card behind. "The Fool represents nothingness; contained within is infinite potential for change and growth. This power ought to have been yours, Miss Vallière, but alas..." Blackened chains flowed onto the image from the right side of the card and Igor flipped it. There was a different yet similar card printed upon the reverse side. Rather than the image of a jovial wanderer this looked to be a true fool; but it grasped the chains that flowed across the edge with its outstretched left hand. "Your fate has been bound by one who could not accept their own."

As the old man reached for the card again and made to turn it over once more the pain in her head became quiet excruciating. Igor sighed; his wide smile fading as he withdrew his hand and shook his head. "It seems our time is at an end once more. Theodore will assist you as best he can. I suspect that this will truly be the last meeting we shall have for some time. I look forward to seeing what comes of you, dear child." And the smile returned as he inclined his head.

"Farewell."

* * *

Louise awoke to a splitting headache and blood dripping from her nose. It wasn't a lot; but she quickly got up and moved to clean herself. Her hands trembled as she wiped her face. She could still feel _it_ inside her. Her... was it her familiar? There was a word on the tip of her tongue but she couldn't articulate it. The pink-haired girl sighed and began to change her clothes. After yesterday she'd just came back and collapsed into bed.

Yesterday... what _had_ happened? She frowned as she closed the last buttons on her blouse and made sure that she'd cleaned all of the blood off. There was that place they'd called... what was it... 'The Velvet Room'. The master, Igor, and the attendant, Theo... the strange weapon and the stranger familiar that seemed to be, somehow, living inside of her. She'd never heard of anything like this.

Her hands froze as she heard a faint knock on the door. Like someone who didn't want to be heard. With growing trepidation Louise moved over and gingerly cracked the door open. She rather didn't expect what she saw in her corridor. There was… Kirche, but also Montmorency and Tabitha. The last three people she thought would come to visit her… particularly now.

"Ah… h-hello, Louise. Um. May we come in?" Kirche seemed… nervous. As she spoke she glanced back none-too-subtly at Tabitha; who, for some reason, looked like she was almost glaring at the taller girl. Feeling far too stunned to resist, Louise nodded and stepped back so they could come in.

The four girls stood awkwardly in her room and Louise had a moment to take a close look at all of them. Montmorency looked like she may well be on the verge of tears, Kirche was clearly nervous and Tabitha was… stern. What was going on?

"... you wanted something?" In the end, she had to break the silence. It was just becoming suffocating. The Germanian girl bit her lip and looked down, while the blonde beside her trembled slightly. Kirche swallowed heavily, but managed to force out her words.

"I… that is to say, _we_ , have come to… apologise. Both personally and on behalf of our classmates, our families and their families. We had no idea that our…" Once more she glanced back at Tabitha. "... our thoughtless words were having such a great effect on you. It… it was not our intent to cause any harm to you, or the House of Vallière." Uhhh… what?

Louise stared at them. This wasn't what she expected, but it was suddenly making a weird amount of sense given what had happened… with the… and… yes. That. _Especially_ Montmorency's reaction. She'd never spoken to her family about the behaviour of her peers but it wasn't precisely a _secret_.

She suspected that the girls, or at least two of them, had realised what may have come to pass if Louise had been killed by the… 'Shadow'. Or, failing that, if she actually _had_... been more deeply affected… well, it wasn't hard to imagine the repercussions. Something they'd probably never considered before.

"I see." It was difficult to decide what to do about this. Louise didn't really want to accept their apologies given that it was clear they were only doing so out of fear. Yet it seemed so… petty, given everything that had happened. She'd nearly _died_. What did their childish bullying matter now? "I suppose I can forgive you. Consider the matter settled. Now, please leave."

Montmorency went out first and Kirche soon followed but Tabitha stayed for a moment. She looked Louise in the eyes and frowned slightly. Then she dipped her head and walked out. Somehow, that felt far more like an actually sincere apology. The quiet girl had always been more of a bystander. In fact, Louise couldn't recall a time that she'd ever actually taken part in their teasing.

Well, it was of no matter now. Louise sat back down on her bed and closed her eyes; regarding the hooded figure sitting inside her. As soon as she did so it looked blindly up at her and grasped at the hilt of the sword on its belt; ready to leap forward and strike.

"What are you?" She hadn't meant to voice the question, but it didn't answer. It merely kept its empty hood facing upwards and waited in silence. "Why me? What _is_ all of this? I don't understand any of it." There was a faint sound from her and she looked up. A subtle blue light of familiar hue was shining from the gap beneath the door.

Louise found she was already walking towards it. This was it. Theodore was in there and by the Founder she would have some answers from him! Surely she was owed real explanations rather than crypticness and riddles? Yet, as she reached for the handle, it turned on its own. She stood there, aghast, as the door swung open.

On the far side stood a woman who looked much like herself. Older, sterner, with straighter hair. Her expression was fierce and proud and Louise felt her knees weakening. Mother. Why was… what… _how_ was her mother here? Now? Had she… she _must_ have heard… Louise took a step back and Karin moved through the doorway; closing the portal behind her.

The pink-haired girl could feel her face and eyes _burning_ from shame. Her mother had come all this way because of her display yesterday. All those things that the 'Shadow' had said… what shame she must have brought upon the family. Louise trembled as she tried to speak.

"Mother, I-"

The words died in her throat as her mother embraced her. There had been… there _were_ tears in the older woman's eyes as she did so; practically flinging herself across the room to enfold her daughter in her arms. Louise didn't understand. Her mother wasn't, had never been, the most _tactile_ person… she hadn't been held like this since she was a little girl.

She'd almost forgotten…

"Louise... " Her heart was pounding as her mother pulled away and stared into her eyes; fear and pain and sorrow writ large across her features. This wasn't… this was her mother? She'd never seen her mother cry. Karin de la Vallière was a woman wrought from steel and sustained by duty. She… she _didn't_ cry. So why…?

"I… I am… I cannot say how… how sorry I am that… you felt you could not confide in me. I… you must know that…" Louise had never seen her mother stumble over her words before. The most distraught she'd ever seen her was speaking to one of the apothecaries that had seen Cattelya. Even then, her composure had not cracked.

Karin wiped her face and took a deep breath; pulling Louise back into her embrace again. It was very warm. What a silly thought that was; even so, she still thought it. It was very warm. "You have acted with strength and diligence, my daughter, and have brought honour upon our house with your continued perseverance." Her heart pounded again. Was this real?

Her mother didn't release her for a long time. They say there together in mutual comfort. Gradually, Louise relaxed. Then she began to cry. Between sobbing breaths she managed to explain to her mother how scared she'd been. All of her fears about letting her mother down, of bringing shame to their family, that she would be a failure all her life and do nothing but disappoint her mother. Karin took it all in stoically.

When Louise's emotional tirade finally came to a close her mother let go of her. She took her daughter's hand and held it tightly; gently kissing her child on the forehead and resting her chin on the girl's head. It felt like a great weight had been lifted off both of them. Even so…

"I have never been anything other than proud of you, Louise. You must not doubt that. You are my daughter. I will _always_ be proud of you."

Louise felt a little larger.

* * *

A young man with a faintly smug smile balanced a curious silver key on his finger-tip as he languidly reclined upon the soft blue seating of an oceanless ship. On the table a lone card sat; proudly displaying its single zero. He seemed to stare out into the shining void and chuckled to himself after a moment.

"After all that, she figured them out for herself?" He spun the key in the air and caught it deftly on the return. Then he laughed. "Well, I'll just have to give this to her next time." The card on the table shone faintly in the dim light of the room as the young man enjoyed the moment. Beside it sat a second card that had, clearly, always been there. Its presence only seemed to serve to enhance the glimmer of the first card. Its number was inscribed clearly.

III


	3. Reach Out For Confusion

The next month was more or less uneventful for Louise; relatively speaking, at least. In many ways it was horribly tumultuous. Certainly there were many drastic changes. Not least of which was the the Academy's newest teacher; one Karin Désirée de la Vallière. Also known as _her mother_.

She felt like she should have expected something like this but it had still surprised her. Not only her mother, but her sister had come as well; brought over a week later by their father once she was well enough to travel. Old Osmond had set up lavish quarters for them all and it was rather the talk of the school.

There had been many repercussions from this. The bullying would have ceased regardless, Louise was certain of that, but the presence of her mother seemed to inspire an unusual level of kindness and politeness from her fellow students. Especially after what had happened to poor Guiche.

Of course, he was a womanising fop but that didn't mean he deserved anything near like as awful as her mother's ire; unfortunately, there had been a mild scene made during lunch one day and as a result he'd been chewed out by an angry Duchess in front of half the school. In one blistering tirade her mother had criticised everything from his philandering and ignoble personal conduct to his demeanour and dress sense.

In fact, she was pretty sure she'd seen the two girls that had been preparing to rake him over the coals themselves kindly escorting a sobbing Guiche away once her mother was finished. That had been so incredibly mortifying but, of course, nobody had said anything. When she'd tried to broach it with mother later, politely asking if perhaps she could ease up a little on the student body, there had been a curt response about the young man in question being a disgrace to his family and that was that.

Louise loved her mother. More now than ever; even if her practical results were terrible she was receiving patient one-on-one guidance on that front and considerable praise for her studiousness and theoretical work. But she was still quickly recalling that it was much easier to love her mother when she didn't have to see her every single day.

Aside from the personal issues things had been relatively quiet. According to her mother the Gallian civil war might finally be drawing to a close, a mercy for all involved to be sure, but she'd also admitted that they tended to think that around this time every year. Then the supporter of one claimant or the other would pour in new funds for new troops and the fires would be fanned once more.

There were also rumours of a potential engagement between Princess Henrietta and Prince Wales of Albion; the potential implications of such a thing causing a frantic storm of politicking that their family stayed well clear of. Regardless of what happened, the Vallière family would remain loyal to the crown of Tristain.

She'd also had no small amount of trouble sleeping. For some reason she seemed to be waking up every night at the same time feeling unusually chilly. Despite her best efforts to procure extra blankets and seal up her windows properly nothing seemed to be working; it was always too warm when she went to bed initially and thus she tossed off the excess bedding in her sleep. At the very least her dreams hadn't been invaded by any nosy types as of late; nor had she returned to that strange place.

Which, given the latest development, was becoming a little concerning.

Recently Louise had begun to see things. Strange things. When she was watching people, her classmates, it was like there were shapes… behind them? No. Inside them. Something else about the eyes and face. When they smiled or frowned or spoke or laughed something was immobile. An unmoving visage hidden beneath their own.

It must be connected. She knew it had to be. They were everywhere; random classmates, the servants, even her family to a lesser extent. Whenever she stared at them for too long she could feel _it_ tensing inside of her. Like it knew something.

"Argh! Why won't you just talk to me!" Not for the first time she slammed her head down into her pillow and huffed loudly. The unknown… thing inside of her seemed incapable of any communication. She wasn't even sure what to call it. Thinking about it, there was a word, wasn't there? Something that she recalled reading… Hm.

"Taciturn, I guess?" Louise frowned. "... that's not it… oh, what even is the point? If you haven't answered me until now I doubt you'd start today just because I'm starting… to…" She had broken off because the shape inside her seemed to be staring at something off to the side. Then, when she looked up, there it was. A faint blue glow from under the door.

Louise stood faster than she knew she could, crossed the room and let her hand close on the door knob before realising what exactly she was doing. Did she really want to go deeper into this madness? Was there any point to it? She didn't even _have_ that weapon any more. Yet, even as she thought that…

* * *

"Hello, Miss Vallière. It is a pleasure to finally see you once more." She was seated on the soft blue fabric of the impossible ship without quite recalling how she'd come here. However, she was certain that she must have opened the door in spite of herself. After all, what was it that the long-nosed one had said? They only called for her. In the end, she had to answer them.

"... I apologise for my tardiness, Theo." To her surprise, she meant it. The beautiful young man smiled and she noticed his eyes for the first time. They were like those of the Shadow... of her other self. Only, whereas those had been sickly to look at his seemed to shine with an inner radiance that was quite captivating.

For his part, Theodore merely smiled at her and reached out; placing something on the table between them. It was a curious key hewn of a metal that had a faint blue-green sheen to it and with a curious half-mask shape embossed upon the bow of it such that to be half dark and half light. She reached for it tentatively; reassured when he didn't try to stop her from picking it up.

"That is the Velvet Key, Miss Vallière. To possess it is your right as the one who would have held the 'wild card'. With it you may return here as you desire." It felt strangely warm and seemed to pulse lightly in her hand.

"I don't understand. What do you mean by wild card?" The ethereal young man frowned, and then placed three cards upon the table. One was familiar to her; the 'Zero' card that Igor had spoken to her of, sans the curious chains that had been on it then. The others were not; one emblazoned with the Romalian numerals for three and inscribed with a vaguely feminine symbol that had a crown above it.

The other, though… it shone brightly in the small room and was marked with similar sigils; this time marking it as the twentieth card. Upon it glowed the image of a trumpeting angel and it seemed to be shimmering with barely restrained power.

"Ordinarily, my master reaches out to those who are capable of making a contract. They receive the power of 'Zero'; the ability to become all things." As she watched the Fool card transformed; running through different numbers and images until it returned once more to nothing. "Your world, however, is in a rather unique state. Until the existing contract is repealed that power is barred to you."

The entire spiel made very little sense to Louise; save that it meant she was not the first to uncover this strange place. She pointed at the other two cards instead and looked to Theodore. He looked at her instead of the cards with that expectant face that her teachers tended to have whenever they saw her hand raised to answer a question.

"Why did you pick out those ones as well? And why is that one so…" Just moving her hand near it she could feel the heat radiating from it. He seemed delighted by her query and picked up the 'three' card.

"This is a social link. Think of it as like… part of a chain. You are one link, and this is another. Individually a single piece of chain is worthless. With many, however…" Then he twisted it and she saw, and felt, the contents.

 _"_ _I failed so many times… I thought you must be ashamed to have a daughter like me. One that couldn't even do the simplest spell."_

 _"Louise… I have never been ashamed of my daughters."_

 _"But you always seem so disappointed in me. And I cause so much trouble for you… if I was just normal then it would be so much easier, wouldn't it?"_

 _"Disappointed? Louise, I… I was disappointed, yes. But not with you. With myself. Your father, he… his family line is from far better stock than mine. I always thought that it was… it might be my fault that you and your sisters weren't stronger."_

 _"But you're so amazing, mother! My whole life I've been trying to reach your expectations… you're so strong and brave… I thought that if I could be more like you then maybe I wouldn't be such a disgrace to our family."_

 _"No, my dear. I'm not brave. I've always been terrified for you, and your sisters. I don't want you to be like me at all. I've fought my whole life to avoid that."_

 _"But… don't you want us to be strong? Do not bend, do not falter, obey commands and live as steel. That's what we're meant to be, isn't it?"_

 _"Of course I want you to be strong; but for your own sakes. I never wanted you to be like me. To have to live like I did. I just… I just want you to be happy, Louise. All of you. And if I want you to be strong it's only because I want you to be able to fight for that happiness."_

 _"Mother…"_

 _"I have never been anything other than proud of you, Louise. You must not doubt that. You are my daughter. I will always be proud of you."_

Tears flowed freely as the conversation echoed from the surface of the card. She saw her mother's face reflected in it; but it was different, somehow. There was something more fluid about her expression, something more _alive_ in the way she spoke and looked at her daughter.

"That's…" Louise had to pause and take another breath to compose herself; looking Theodore in his shining eyes. "It's my bond with mother, isn't it? Because I opened my heart to her… no. Because she opened her heart to me." His grin could have lit a room in that moment.

"I see why you could find your way here, Miss Vallière. You are truly a model student." The card was laid back on the table and fell silent in the process. "Correct. That heartfelt bond created the link between you. If you had the normal contract then it would have granted you more powers with which to fight your enemy. Things this time, however, are far less simple. This, for example…"

Then he picked up the other card and it exploded. Not quite literally, of course, but there was light and sound and fragments of voices and screaming and heat and cold and pain and then it was all over just as soon as it had begun. He had not only laid it back down but also placed a gloved hand over the surface to block off the light.

"That card, Miis Vallière, is the chain that connects you to your antecedents. It is, in a very material way, your fate made manifest." She thought about it for a few moments; staring at the card and inside herself as well for some time before she was willing to voice her theory.

"... the gun… 'Evoker'? And this… thing inside me." Louise gestured vaguely at her chest and the presence in her heart stirred a little. "It's that card. Isn't it?" A happy little sigh came from Theodore then, and he nodded slowly.

"Yes. I cannot exactly articulate the details; partially it is that I am unsure if I am permitted and partially it is simply that I do not understand them myself. My master is far more knowledgeable as to the intricacies of the situation." That was… decidedly unhelpful.

"Then what am I meant to do with this power? I can think of a great many uses for it, but none that seem particularly… noble." Indeed. She could just about shape the world with a weapon as terrible as the one that had been pushed upon her. That strike from her familiar, inasmuch as it was such a thing, had practically split the heavens.

"That is for you to figure out, Miss Vallière. Though I suspect you've got some idea, if you've returned here. Something strange that you've observed?" Once more she nodded slowly; deep in thought. There were a few things it might be, but the first that came to mind was…

"The shapes behind people's faces. That's it, isn't it?" To her surprise, Theodore wasn't delighted by this one; she might have thought she was mistaken if not for his reaction. He lifted a hand and wobbled it side to side vaguely. "It's not that?" He shrugged.

"Yes and no. You could say that's more of a symptom than a cause. If you wish to find the root of the issue then you'll need to look a bit harder." That made gears spin in her head and she stroked her chin for a moment.

"... I think I might have an idea of where to start. Thank you, Theo. You've been very helpful."

* * *

Louise almost fell over as a result of what felt like a sudden change in orientation. The moment she'd resolved to leave her hand had jerked back from the doorknob and she'd been outside. For a moment she was almost ready to dismiss it as another dream or hallucination, only…

In her left hand was a cool, metallic object. Opening it revealed a blue key, embossed with a mask symbol. She clenched her fingers again and let herself feel the weight of it. Real. It was real. Since the event she hadn't seen the gun and had only the shape within her as evidence that those things had truly happened.

If her suspicion was correct she might need to retrieve the gun… no, the Evoker. It wasn't a weapon in the usual sense and she should treat it as such. That thing was no more than a tool. One which, if what Theodore had implied when they first met… or was it technically the second time? Regardless, if what he'd hinted at was true then it may not even be truly necessary.

Well, that was beyond her right now. Whatever the case may be investigating before she was able to defend herself against things like her Shadow was foolhardy in the extreme. Which meant that she would have to talk to her mother about… everything.

The next afternoon, once classes had finished for the day, Louise knocked on the door to her family's quarters. To her surprise the one that answered was neither her father nor mother; instead it was Cattleya.

"Dear sister…" Louise began; but paused slightly. There was something off about her elder sibling. Although she could see the taller girl smile at her but part of her face seemed to remain immobile behind that. The key in her pocket felt like it was growing warm once more and seemed to be beating gently in time with her own heart.

It was like a mask beneath the skin. That was the only thing Louise could liken it to. Sealed in a rictus of pain and sorrow despite what the outer self seemed to be showing. She was invited in forthwith and they exchanged empty pleasantries; delicately avoiding the topics of health and classes in the process.

Speaking like strangers, Louise thought, and all the while smiling like nothing was wrong. Almost all of her attention was taken up by trying not to stare at the mask that wasn't there. Whatever this abnormality was she had to figure it out sooner rather than later because it felt like it was getting worse.

When their mother arrived, at last, the relief was palpable. Their conversation, such as it was, had been growing emptier and emptier with each response. Feeling a faint twinge of guilt, Louise gladly excused herself to speak with the Duchess in her study.

"Louise. How are you?" It still brought a smile to her face that the first question wasn't inquiring as to the progress of her magic, nor her studies; but, rather, directly asking after her wellbeing. It was a marked change that was most welcome. Even if she understood now that the nature of their previous interactions was essentially the same as it was now it was still… nice. Either way her mother had been worried about her but this felt better.

"Well enough, mother. Somewhat… apprehensive. I fear we must speak of… the incident." That caused Karin to straighten up immediately and acquire a deeply troubled expression. They had barely exchanged more than a handful of words regarding what had happened; neither one quite knowing how to bring it up.

"I see. Well, it is good that you feel you can speak of it with me now." What was quite pleasant to note for Louise was that there seemed to be no disturbing duality to her mother's face when she said that; whatever condition was affecting Cattleya seemed to have passed over their matriarch. Or perhaps… the card in Theo's hands came to mind in that moment, and more ideas poured into Louise's head.

"To be frank, I'm not sure I can exactly. There are aspects to the events that are… hard to believe, even for myself. However… I must ask something of you, mother. The weapon. I need it back." As she had expected her mother seemed to be stunned by such a request. With good reason as well.

"This… is a troubling thing for you to ask of me, my dear child. That item is of unknown provenance. We don't know from whence it came, or by how you came about it." Both statements were neutral and not in the least bit accusatory; Karin's tone carefully controlled and even. Even so, Louise felt a twinge of guilt.

"All I can truly say is that it is related to the strangeness of my familiar and summoning both. That item is a catalyst for the familiar I called; much like a wand is for any Noble. Without it, I cannot reach my full potential." It was a little dirty of her to resort to such an argument but the instant slackening of her mother's body let her know she'd hit her mark.

The older woman sighed deeply and then unlocked one of the drawers of her desk with a small silver key she'd been wearing around her neck. Within was one thing only; the Evoker. Her mother pulled it out and held it with an air of contemplation.

"You're asking me to trust you a great deal." One arched brow let her know exactly how dubious a proposition this was. But then Karin sighed and allowed a wry smile. "So I suppose I don't have much of a choice. Please promise me that you will come to me, though. If I can help you at all."

Louise didn't take the gun. Instead she hugged her mother around the waist and allowed her tears to be lost in the fabric of her shirt. After a startled second she felt arms close around her.

"I promise. And thank you." A gentle hand stroked her hair and she felt her mother sigh.

"No need to thank me, Louise. It's more than I deserve."

They left it at that. Louise took the Evoker with her back to her room and reflected that, on balance, it wasn't so bad having her mother living in the Academy. The tool was left under her pillow before she went to bed along with the Velvet Key before she laid down and tried to get what rest she could.

* * *

Louise woke up shivering in the cold; sitting up quickly and immediately feeling for the Evoker. It was strangely warm to the touch, much like the key had been. She allowed herself a few moments to get dressed, since no self-respecting lady would sleep in their clothes or go exploring in their undergarments, and then carefully tucked the key away in her pocket before heading to the window. The Evoker stayed firmly in her grasp and she intended to keep it there indefinitely.

Whatever she had been expecting to see when she pulled back the blinds it definitely wasn't what she got. Everything was cast in a sickly red glow by the light of one of the moons; but not, as she might have otherwise expected, the one that was usually red.

The smaller of the two moons was pitch black with a glowing white outline; looking much like a drawing she'd seen in an astronomy text once of an incredibly rare event referred to as an 'eclipse'. It was the larger, however, that was far more striking. For it had turned the colour of blood and seemed to be illuminating the land with its unusually bright glow. Even then, that wasn't the concern for Louise.

No. She was much more fixated on the massive, trembling, pitch-black chains that criss-crossed its surface; each one connecting to one of many incredibly huge locks that hung about the surface of the celestial body. Each one inscribed with letters. Or, to be more accurate, numbers. She counted nineteen in total; ranging from one to twenty, with the number three being absent.

She was so focused on this sight and the possible implications thereof that she nearly missed the screaming girl fleeing for her life across the courtyard.


	4. Reach Out For Salvation

Seeing another person within this curious reality was so startling that Louise very nearly didn't realise they were in distress. The screaming was helpful in that regard; snapping her out of her reverie and forcing her to evaluate the situation as best she could. Which was a little hard to do when the situation was so confusing.

Her initial impression was that the girl, who was wearing a rather plain nightgown, was being chased by a swarm of her classmates. A swarm of figures was flowing across the grounds behind her; their silhouettes obfuscating the actual number of them. They seemed to be a few dozen in number and with some variety in their shapes but were universally diminutive with billowing black cloaks flowing behind them.

More concerning was that, as they chased the girl, the leaders of the pack would occasionally wave something at her; followed by little streaks of coloured light flickering into existence and hammering the ground around her. Either the girl was good at dodging, or quite lucky, or the things had terrible aim because they were blasting holes in the courtyard but not hitting her.

Or maybe, a more sobering thought, they just didn't want to ruin the fun.

If she was a more… _traditional_ magus then she would have simply levitated down there immediately. As it was, Louise turned around and ran to her door; yanking it open, half-falling into the corridor beyond and freezing as she came face to face with one of the tiny things.

As close as she was it was actually… weirdly adorable? From what she could see it was like some sort of… _ghost_ thing wearing an academy cloak and a little grayish mask that seemed to be made of rough stone. There were no eyes, though; just empty blackness that extended out the sides of the mask as well to form the impression of a head but with ragged, wispy edges. Even without a face, though, it managed to look startled. She'd expected it to try and cast a spell at her but instead, to her surprise, it immediately spun around and fled; the little wispy tail it had instead of legs flailing behind it.

Louise didn't let that slow her down for long; sprinting towards the stairs and noting that every encounter she had after that was quite similar to the first. Any ones she encountered, regardless of the differing masks they wore, seemed initially curious at a distance but fled in abject terror as soon as she drew close to them. This happened even when there were two or three together; they scattered, often in different directions, and would seek to hide from her. Some even went into the rooms of the corridor.

She didn't want to think about that right now. Someone needed her help immediately. Hopefully she wasn't too late. Running down multiple flights of stairs was somewhat exhausting and by the time she reached the door to the main courtyard her legs felt like they were on fire. Even so, she was a little thankful that she couldn't fly around like her classmates or else she wouldn't even be as fit as she was. Then again, she'd already be there if she could…

It wasn't until she actually got outside that she realised the dull red tint of light to everything had persisted inside as well. In fact, it had been strangely well lit in the building for the time of night. That was deeply troubling but once more had to sideline given the urgency of the immediate situation.

Thinking of which, where _had_ that girl gone? The swarm of creatures was nowhere to be seen but she soon spotted the trail of damage that marked their path. Some holes were scorched marks, others cracked, a few seemed like sharp cuts in the ground and all of the remainder were weirdly damp. That confirmed at least one basic theory she'd gleaned from the masks.

A scream split the night air and she began to run; it had come from her right and, as expected, that was where the trail went. No matter how much it hurt Louise pushed herself through it. She had to save that girl. Even if she didn't know her at all the girl was still in danger. How could she face her mother tomorrow if she just left her to… just left her?

She passed through the arch to the next segment and skidded to a halt on the grass; there was the swarm, all gathered in one place and swirling around something she couldn't see. The little things seemed to be bobbing about and she felt like she could hear faint laughter in the background. They were almost childlike, in a way, but the soft sound had a sinister undertone to it.

"Get away from her!" The strength in her voice surprised her, and Louise pointed the Evoker at them; remembering a moment too late that such a display was entirely pointless. To her complete surprise, however, it seemed to work. When masks of the crowded turned to face her she felt the ripple of fear across them and they parted before her like seeds in the breeze.

Louise lowered the weapon and marched forward; trying her utmost to imitate the bearing of her mother. Confident, strong, fearless. Not letting them see her shaking hands. There was the girl; she'd tripped at last, it looked like, or perhaps been knocked down. More likely the latter given Louise could now see blood dripping down the her and a large cut in the side her simple nightgown.

"Are you alright?" The girl, who had been still covering her face, lowered her arms and Louise was unsurprised to see that she didn't recall the face at all. Tears welled up in her eyes, though, and she flung herself forward to hug her rescuer around the waist while blubbering loudly.

"Waaahhh… th-thank you, m-milady! You s-saved me!" Oh. She must be one of the maids, then. That was… no, it was fine. As a Noble it was her duty to safeguard commoners. Especially as she internally suspected this entire mess was somehow her fault.

"It's alright. Everything will be fine. How badly are you injured? Can you walk?" She not-so-subtly tried to pry the girl off her, her strength was quite unexpected, only for the girl to let go and straighten up. Her face looked a frightful mess but she wiped it with the sleeve of her nightgown and tried to smile.

"I'm… I'm fine, ma'am. Only… where… and what…" The girl looked fearfully to the sky and then the creatures; who, Louise now noticed, had entirely encircled them. Every now and then the circle would buckle a little as part of them recoiled. These movements were, she noticed, synchronised with the relative motions of the figure inside of her.

"That is… a very good question. One we'll have to save for later. Can you walk?" Louise reiterated her former question, not having quite received a clear answer on that front, and was pleased to receive a terse nod. "Very good. They seem to be afraid of me, but…" Although the creatures were small in stature they hovered some small distance off the ground and thus obscured her sight fairly well. Nevertheless, Louise could see over their heads and behind them; more were streaming over to join the cluster.

Now that she had the chance to see them all up close a number of suspicions were confirmed. Though the symbols on their cloak pins were unfamiliar and the colours of said garments unusual they were most definitely in the academy style. Each one of them wielded something that she could only call idea of a wand; the shape was there, shining brightly in a radiant white, but it was surrounded by the ragged darkness that seemed to make up the body of the thing itself. Finally, the masks. There were four distinct styles on display and taken as a whole they made sense; one was the stony she'd already seen, another was afire, the third indistinct and the last fluid. Despite their diminutive stature there seemed to be a familiar hint of menace to the way they were crowding.

"... they'll attack us soon." When Louise spoke it was with a grim expression and a hint of steel that hadn't felt in herself a moment ago. "I've read about this. Like wild dogs. They're cowardly scavengers facing a greater predator. Once they have enough they'll all come at once." The other girl took was holding her cloak and trembling lightly. Louise gathered up her courage and nodded to herself.

"I'm going to do something. When I do, I need you to run. I'll be right behind you. Okay?" After a brief pause the girl nodded and Louise felt a flush of relief. "Head for the main door. We'll go back to my room; if we're in tighter quarters they won't be able to bunch up and that should help keep them at bay." Her hope being that if they couldn't reach a critical mass of numbers their fear of her, or the 'familiar' inside of her, would hold them back.

Louise raised the Evoker, out of sight of the girl tucked in against her back, and pressed it to the underside of her chin. The barrel felt like it was searing hot and her hand was trembling. Even if she knew on an intellectual level, from direct experience, that this _would_ work, that it wasn't actually a real gun, that her brain wasn't about to be sprayed all over the lawn some self-preservation instinct inside of her was screaming that she shouldn't pull the trigger.

It wasn't like last time. The Shadow had been quite immediately trying to kill her. She'd been running high on adrenaline and righteous fury and just a little bit of terror… or maybe quite a bit of terror. Here and now they were just gathering around her. Not doing anything. Watching. Waiting.

Then, out of the corner of her eye she saw one of them raise their wand; a red light starting to gather at its tip.

 _ **Blade of Judgement**_

The sound of shattering glass and the feeling of rushing wind as something _flowed_ out from the back of her haid. There was a surge of bright light as the same hooded figure appeared. It was almost as short as her but it moved with force and resolve. Louise didn't even see it draw the sword but one moment it was still sheathed and the next there was a searing burst of light that left a line burned horizontally across her vision.

Before she could fully register what had happened the figure had already vanished; unlike the first time it had lasted just long enough to complete a single strike. Yet that strike had more than just cleared their path; nearly a third of the creatures in front of them were just _gone_ ; along with a good portion of the lawn. A ragged arc of destruction had been carved into the land in front of them that stretched outwards a good fifty metres. The ground was littered with scraps of coloured cloth that were even now dissolving and floating away like ashes blown in the wind.

All around them the tiny creatures fled in every possible direction that would take them further away from her. Neither Louise nor the servant had started to run; each just as stunned as the other. Certainly her familiar had proven immensely powerful when confronting her own Shadow but she hadn't thought it was capable of… this. She'd rather been expecting that same pillar of light attack that it had used before; capable of clearing a path but not nearly so devastating as whatever that had just been.

"... ma'am?" The girl's voice was small and unsure. She was tugging on Louise's cloak as the Noble girl remained motionless. "I think we… we should go before they… come back?" The tone was quite hesitant. As if uncertain how many of those it would have taken to actually pose a threat to them at this point.

"Yes. Yes we… you're quite right. We should..." Louise took a step and stumbled; nearly falling over in the process. Aching body aside it felt much like all the strength in her legs had just drained out of her. There was a throbbing pain in her skull and something warm on her face. When she reached to touch it her hand came back even redder than it had been under the light of the moon. "Oh. I seem to be bleeding."

There was a dull thud as the Evoker dropped from her hand and hit the dirt; followed shortly by her collapsing down to her hands and knees. "I… I apologise, I just… I need a moment. That was… I don't feel very…" Then she felt something welling up in her and, with scarcely any warning, threw up in a most ignoble fashion.

"Ah! Are you okay?" The girl was still hovering about her; seeming simultaneously repulsed by the situation but also not as if she didn't want to pull away. "Oh no, oh no. Let me just… here, give me your arm." It took some doing but eventually Louise was able to put her arm over the girl's shoulders and was able to be helped to her feet.

"The… the gun. I can't leave it…" It took nearly all of her remaining strength just to point. The girl screwed up her face and gingerly bent down, doing her best to support Louise all the while, and picked up the item much like her sister Éléonore would have handled a dead rat; assuming she couldn't browbeat someone else into doing it, of course.

"Let's… let's go." They navigated somewhat unsteadily around the puddle of vomit, which had fortunately splashed on Louise's clothing only a little, and teetered weakly in the direction of the main tower. Luckily the creatures were keeping their distance despite Louise's current state of weakness. Then, as they were nearing the door, everything changed.

Quite suddenly it felt much warmer. The light shifted from an oppressive red to a cool, pleasant blue as the moons returned to their usual colour. Almost every trace of the events that had just befallen was utterly erased as the ground returned to its previous more-or-less pristine state. Only their own injuries and state of dishevelment remained.

The both of them were equally confused by this change to the state of affairs; though neither one was particularly upset by it. Louise looked to her partner in survival and smiled weakly. "Well. That seems to have sorted itself out. Now, I think we should perhaps go to the infirmary."

* * *

Louise sat on one of the beds, hand-cloth held to her nose, as she watched the maid bandaging the cut on her leg. It hadn't turned out to be that bad, thankfully; she'd just fallen when one of them had barely nicked her. They'd been surrounding her for a while, as the girl's story had turned out, seemingly wanting to draw out their hunt just a little longer.

"... Louise. Louise de La Vallière. I just realised that we didn't exactly introduce ourselves earlier." The long hobble to the infirmary had been broken up only by a terse discussion of what had happened while Louise was running downstairs and a brief pause to borrow a spare key to the room. Luckily the maid had known where that was as she wouldn't have had any idea.

"Oh. My name's Siesta, Miss Vallière. Siesta of Tarbes. At your service." Siesta gave a sort of sitting curtsy and smiled brightly at Louise. It was a little disconcerting to see, actually. The girl was… very upbeat now that they weren't actively in danger.

"I think that, in light of tonight's events, it's alright for you to call me Louise, Siesta." The maid's face turned bright red as she said that and she shook her head violently; waving both hands in the Noble's direction.

"No, no, no! That wouldn't be proper at all, Miss Vallière. You saved my life! I owe you a great deal of respect." Well that was true enough, but… once more Louise had an awful feeling that the only reason Siesta had been in danger at all was the bizarre things that had been happening lately due to her abnormal summoning.

"Please. I insist." An internal war seemed to rage across the girl's face for a for some time before she finally came to a solution that seemed to please her.

"Well… I guess, as long as it's just us it's fine, Miss… ah… _Louise._ " Then the beaming was back. Actually, it wasn't unpleasant. Louise found that she was already smiling back. Given what they'd been through the enthusiasm was fairly relaxing.

"Of course. And…" She bit her lip and looked the servant girl up and down. There was some unpleasant news she had to get across now. "I fear that we will be together quite a lot from now on. I'm not sure exactly what is going on but I think that it will continue to occur each night." Siesta gasped; staring at Louise in shock.

"You mean… so you know something about all of this? Oh no… has someone _cursed_ us, Miss Louise?" Well. That was an interesting question. Maybe? As far as she knew this was the first time anyone else had gone to that place. Louise thought that she probably had been every night since the summoning and simply hadn't noticed due to her unwillingness to leave the comfort of her bed. However, if there had been some disturbance she'd surely have heard it?

"I don't… No, I don't think so. And just Louise is fine, Siesta, no 'Miss'." Founder knew it would get irritating if she had to hear that a dozen or more times every night. Thankfully, Siesta only blushed a little bit before nodding firmly. "I'll try and find out more, and as soon as I know I'll tell you. Until then, you should come to my room each night and stay with me. I'll see if I can request for you to be assigned to me personally or something…"

Louise had been looking down in thought as she spoke and thus nearly missed the girl flinching at her last remark. "Pardon?" She looked Siesta in the eyes and frowned slightly. "Are you alright?" The girl's mood had seemed to cool somewhat and now she looked almost afraid.

"I'd… I'd prefer if you didn't, Miss Vallière. I can find my own way to your quarters after dark. If that's alright?" Of course it was fine by her but that response had been a little strange. "I think we should return to our quarters. Do you need my help?" Louise gingerly tried to stand and found that her legs could support her weight again. When she lowered the cloth no more blood streamed forth from her nose and so it seemed she'd more or less recovered for the moment.

"I can manage, Siesta. Thank you for the offer." She hesitated as the other girl stood and then spoke out regardless. "Would you like me to escort you back to the servant quarters?" Siesta turned to look at her and the smile had come back full force again; striking Louise with the cheerful force of a thousand torches.

"Thank you very much for offering, Miss Louise. I'll be fine." Siesta moved to the door and paused at it, looking back over her shoulder with a much gentler smile. "And thank you for coming to rescue me, even though… I mean, I truly appreciate it. Thank you. Goodnight." Then she was gone, and Louise was left with even more questions.

Fortunately, she knew where to find some answers.

* * *

"My, my…" The young man wore a languid smirk as he looked at the four cards sitting on the table; three of them fanned out so that they began to form a semicircle around the first. From the perspective of someone sitting opposite him they would have been laid out with the highest of the three on the right and the lowest on the left; with the clear outlier being that the one between those two was still face down.

The card on the right was the brightest of all; yet the light that poured from it could only be described as 'impersonal'. It was cold, and harsh, and felt as distant as starlight. By comparison the gentle radiance coming from the leftmost card, seeming now to be a little brighter even though it was clearly just as it had always been, felt warm and soft and close.

Between the two was one that had merely the hint of shine to its surface. It was new and uncertain in its glow. That only served to make it seem a little more precious to the eyes of the observer.

"She does work quickly, doesn't she. Or perhaps I should say slowly? Either way…" He reached out and picked up the new card, spinning it in his hands to reveal a dim celestial nervously shining on the other face. Then he looked up at the door opposite him; his smile widening. "I wonder what she'll think of this one…"

XIX


	5. Reach Out For Detail

The metal of the key heated up as Louise moved with intention towards the infirmary's exit. She could feel it pulsing in time with her heartbeat as well as the the flickers of light starting to show under the doorway. As she approached the door the keyhole began to glow as well.

Although the opening didn't match the key in her hand at all she nevertheless had no difficulty slotting it in and turning. There was a sudden 'click' that echoed not only in the room but in her mind as well. The silence of the academy gave way...

* * *

... to the creaking of wood and faint breaking of waves as Louise blinked to awareness on the lush blue couch of the Velvet Room.

Opposite, Theodore was watching her silently with his normal expression of vague yet handsome amusement. Louise idly noted, as her eyes roamed the confines of the Room, that there were now _four_ playing cards laid out on the table. She wasn't as surprised as she thought she'd be. Zero, Three, Nineteen and... **_Twenty._** That one she eyed with particular trepidation before quickly moving on.

"Welcome back, Miss Vallière. I trust you have had an enlightening and productive evening?" Theo smiled at her like nothing had changed at all, but there was a hint of something in his tone. Not mockery, she was certainly well acquainted enough with that to recognise it, but rather more akin to… curiosity.

"Perhaps, to some. I found I had more questions than answers. Now I hope to reverse the issue." For some reason her wording seemed to amuse Theo, and he tilted his head at her. Louise frowned and leaned forward; glancing at the new card. "What was that, Theo? What did I see?" The young man tapped his chin and looked vaguely into empty space.

"What _did_ you see, Miss Vallière?" The question was so insulting she almost missed it. Her eyes narrowed and she searched his face for confirmation. "Is something the matter?* When he makes eye contact she could tell for certain. His curiosity was genuine. Meaning…

"You… _don't_ know. _You don't know!_ " Louise clasped her hand over her mouth after her shocked exclamation had burst out of her. Theodore did nothing to contradict her assessment however; merely smiling at her and inclining her head. "Oh, by the Founder… how can _you_ not know what I saw? I thought all of… _that_ stuff was connected to you, and this place, and this power!"

Theodore shrugged, and with a flick of a hand the card table slid off to one side. Then he crossed his arms, leaned back in the seat and looked her firmly in the eyes.

"That is correct. This realm has been barred to us for some time, and establishing an offshoot the Velvet Room within it was a costly endeavour. As of yet, I am unaware of the form that the issue has taken.* She felt her heart sink with every word that Theo spoke. If he didn't have answers for her… "However!"

Louise looked up sharply as Theo interjected suddenly, and with a wide smile on his face. "I may be inexperienced, but I have been told much by my sisters and my master about past incidents. There are certainly things I can tell you about this." The relief was almost palpable for her. Theo reached out and picked up the Zero, the 'Fool', and held it up.

"Normally, an individual enters into a 'contract' in order to resolve a… mystery, of sorts. We grant them the power of the 'wild card', the Fool, in order to assist them. The power of Persona." That word felt curiously familiar to Louise, but the way he used it was not.

"And what does that mean, pray tell?" Louise tried to ask politely, but her tone was perhaps more snippy than she had intended. Nevertheless, Theo inclined his head to her with a deferential aura surrounding him, and continued.

"You may recall I told you that a Shadow is a manifestation of the dark truths within your heart. It would not be wrong to say all humans possess those feelings." A memory of yellow eyes and harsh words came to mind. Louise wouldn't have quite called what the Shadow had said to her 'Truth', but at the same time… it would be dishonest of her to deny it completely.

Opposite her, oblivious to her inner turmoil, Theo continued. "Those who have faced their Shadow, their true self, and accepted it may gain a Persona; taking that inner suffering and transforming it into a protective mask. A weapon with which to face the world." He chuckles drily at some internal joke, and looks askance at her. "Sometimes this is more literal."

Louise sat there in silence as she considered what Theo said. There was something a little off about his explanation that she couldn't quite put her finger on. All of this was outside of her realm of knowledge so it was it was hard to challenge him on it, yet even so… she suddenly realised what was bothering her and looked up.

"The masks! I told you about them before, and you seemed to know what was happening. Are _those_ these 'persona' things?" Her triumphant shout was somewhat undermined by Theo's clear confusion.

"Masks… masks… ah, I see. That's what you were referring to last time by 'shapes', I suppose?" She nodded, feeling distinctly uncertain in the face of this reaction. It certainly cast some doubts on what she had thought to be a fairly brilliant deduction.

"Yes… I didn't really think of them as masks until after I spoke to you, though. My… I saw someone who seemed worse than the others. It was like all their pain was… wound together and hidden just below the surface." It had been more, of course. More than just what she had seen. Perhaps that distance between them had always been there and Louise had just never noticed but their discussion had felt so… superficial.

"Well, as I said then, Miss Vallière, if you have observed it in the waking world then it is a symptom of the problem rather than the problem itself. Likewise, that does not sound like what I would characterise as a Persona." He raised a hand and, somewhat theatrically, covered half his face. In spite of the seriousness of their discussion Louise couldn't help but snicker at him in a very nearly unladylike fashion. "A Persona does not place a _barrier_ between you and the world. It allows you to achieve unity with your inner self and thus gain the strength to interact fearlessly with others."

He lowers the hand and smiles at her; leaving Louise to wonder exactly what that was in aid of. "What you describe sounds more like someone repressing their inner self. Whatever their reasons might be for doing it that is the sort of behaviour that can cause a Shadow to form." Louise's blood ran cold in an instant. Her own Shadow had been vast and murderous and she'd barely overcome it with the help of the Velvet Room's attendant; how could Cattleya manage it?

"I have to stop it!* She shot to her feet at once; frantically looking for the door. "If I don't, then she'll-" Theo stood just as quickly and moved to the entrance behind her; an ornate blue door with intricate gilded patterning across its surface.

"Miss Vallière, please be calm. Under normal circumstances Shadows do not enter into the waking world. Likewise, so long as you are in the Velvet Room there can be no risk to those beyond it; all your dealings here occur in the space between the conscious and the subconscious." Her fear and confusion must have been evident still because Theo added afterwards, "Or, as I have said before, no time passes beyond this place while you are here."

Louise slowly relaxed; taking deep breaths to soothe her frayed nerves. The thought of Cattleya being assaulted by one of those… things… it was too much to imagine. Her sister had always been so kind to her when they were younger; even if they'd grown apart when she'd left for the Academy.

Once she was calm and seated again Theodore started again. Louise found that she appreciated his consideration; it wasn't something she was particularly used to. "Now then," He began, "Ordinarily, a Shadow will not enter into this world. Yours was a… special case. They dwell in a realm beyond the one you're familiar with. Or perhaps 'apart from' would be a better way to put it." He seemed to think for a moment before he stood and walked to the side of the room.

When he returned he had a mirror in hand. One of the small ones you'd put on a dresser or side table. "Now then… think of it like this. When you look into the mirror you see yourself; but it isn't you. It is a reflection of you. The realm of Shadows is like that; a reflection of this world, but shaped very strongly by how its inhabitants perceive it." Louise shivered at the memory of a dark place..

"This realm… I think… I may have been there. Somehow." Theo immediately perked up and discarded the mirror on to the couch beside him; granting his full and rapt attention to Louise. "It was late at night… I woke up, as I had every night for… the past month at least. Since I… summoned my Shadow. This time, however, I chose to investigate instead of going back to bed. What I saw was totally beyond my expectations…"

Louise explained, somewhat haltingly, everything that had happened. The eclipse moon and the read one with chains. The strange lighting present everywhere. The fleeing maid and the tiny creatures. Theo made her go over her description of them several times; taxing her memory for details. To her great surprise he actually pulled out a small blue notebook, the cover nearly matching the Velvet Room's door, and sketched the creatures in it with pencil.

"Yes… those are definitely Shadows." Although she had suspected there was a link between those creatures and the thing she'd summoned Louise had not expected them to be one and the same. "Think of your Shadow as being… well, it was _you._ Your Shadow Self; a reflection of your darkest thoughts and moments. These Shadows do not belong to any one person in particular. It is most likely that they represent the darkness within student body as a whole."

A memory of her classmates general disdain for the underclass surfaced at that moment and made Louise frown. Obviously servants were servants, of course, but she had been raised better than to act like _that._ It made an unpleasant amount of sense to her, however, when she considered that they had been _toying_ with Siesta. Tormenting her, humiliating her, dragging out the chase so they could enjoy it just a bit longer and only circling in for the kill when she could run no more.

"... what would have happened to her? If I had not… stopped them?" They'd certainly been capable of causing physical injury. It was easy to assume they would have just killed the girl, but that didn't quite seem… right. Theo looked to be troubled by the question, however.

"Honestly, Miss Vallière? I don't know. While what you have described sounds similar to a previous incident I do not think the results can be the same." He frowned while gazing downwards and raised his hand to his face; pressing his closed fist to his mouth in thought. "But… in that incident, the victims had part of their psyche consumed. They lost their will to live. In a later incident, however, the Shadows simply slew their victims. The circumstances then were somewhat complex, however."

So either way it looked bad. Louise had a lot to think about now. She stood up and curtseyed to Theodore; noble or not, and she wasn't sure if he was even human so that seemed a moot distinction, he deserved that respect from her.

"Thank you, Theo. I appreciate your candor, and your attempts to help." She had almost reached the door when her biggest problem rose to the surface of her mind once more. Louise paused and turned back to look at the young attendant. "Theo… this 'power' I have… I can't use it properly." She stepped back to the couch and rested her hands on the edge.

"When it used that spell the first time I summoned it almost all of my willpower was consumed. Last night, it used some other ability and I was… I don't know. Injured, I suppose?" She pursed her lips as she considered how to explain. "My vitality was greatly reduced, I suffered severe head pain, and I bled profusely from my nose." Theodore nodded; leaning on his hand and tapping one finger on his cheek.

"Yes, that makes sense. Physical skills drain vitality, magical skills drain… well, magical energy." Louise recalled the devastation caused by that strike and tried to reconcile it with the assertion that it was in some fashion _not_ magical. "Your inherited Persona is very powerful, yes. The strength of all your predecessors has been passed down to you."

"Predecessors?" The word in particular stuck out to her. "There have been others like me? You've helped other people this way?" Contrary to her expectations, however, Theodore shook his head.

"No. My master told me that you are the second person to ever enter the Velvet Room from your world, and he would not tell me anything about the first save that it was a very long time ago. In effect, you are the first person we have helped." She felt… a little disappointed, actually. Being special in this case was less beneficial than having the past experience of others to draw on.

"I see. Well, regardless, do you have any advice?" Theo looked from her to the table. Then he reached out and picked up the newest card. Number nineteen, emblazoned with an image of a sun that had been personified with a gentle face.

"The Sun Arcana. Happiness, joy, positive energy, optimism, and accomplishment. In the past, the social links were the key to the power of the wild card. You, the owner of the Fool, would be able to possess not one but many Persona to use as you would." If it weren't for the fact that… what was it Igor had said to her? Her fate had been bound by one who could not accept their own.

"That power has been sealed, but my master suspects you may be able to unlock it. If there is a way, your social links may well be the key. This is a unique situation for us, however, so I cannot offer any more advice beyond that." With a heavy heart Louise let out a sigh. That was more or less in line with her expectations.

"Then I shall thank you once more, Theo. Farewell for now." Again she curtseyed to him, and headed for the door. As her hand touched the knob she heard his gentle voice echo from behind her.

"You are most welcome, Miss Vallière."

* * *

She stood, key in hand, in front of the infirmary door. The room, and the rest of the building, was silent as the grave at this time of night. Hesitantly Louise opened the door and observed the corridor beyond. Empty. Thus emboldened she quickly made her way back to her room, found her bed and planted herself directly into it.

Sleep must have claimed her almost instantly because Louise awoke to a beam of light that shone through her window and stabbed her in the eyes. There was a dull throbbing pain that swam through her skull and refused to be silent. She groaned and sat up as delicately as she could.

Her whole body ached and there were bloodstains down the front of her uniform. That, at least, confirmed that what had happened last night was real. Not that she'd been in doubt, of course, but it was nice to be certain.

Louise changed into a spare set of clothes, set the old ones aside for cleaning, and gathered up her toiletries. At a time like this a hot soak was just the thing, she felt. Before long Louise could sigh happily as she relaxed she in the warm waters of the elegant noble bathhouse and ruminated on her situation.

She should probably tell her mother about this. At least in part. Having a talk with Siesta would also be a good idea. Although she had said that she didn't want to be assigned to Louise, and could find her own way, it might be better to have her wait in her own room instead.

With her eyes closed she could see the shape of her familiar… no, her _Persona_ inside of her. As usual it was staring up at her, for all that such a description made sense, and exuded an aura of readiness. Prepared at any moment to strike again.

 _This_ was someone's true inner self? A silent, violent creature wielding unimaginable power. Louise couldn't help but wonder what her true Persona would look like. This thing seemed so plain, so unassuming. Surely she would have something a bit more majestic and imposing?

Then again, with her luck it would be as small and blank as this thing. Perfect for a Zero like her. Still no real magic of her own. She hadn't asked Theo if that was related to all of this. Perhaps because she feared the answer. If it wasn't related, if it wasn't the result of her 'bound fate' or whatever, if she was just like that all on her own…

Louise left the bathhouse feeling physically relieved but emotionally troubled. Once she had returned to her room she changed into a fresher, nicer uniform and then went straight out again. Never had she been more thankful for a weekend; if she had to go to class this morning she would not have been able to cope. As it was she seriously considered staying in her room until the evening meal at least.

A vague sense of duty won out in the end and Louise ventured forth in search of Siesta. After some firm questions the other servants she met directed her to the corridor the girl was working in; when Louise found her the girl was dusting statuettes.

"Siesta!" The maid turned and regarded her with a look of… fear, actually. It was only for an instant but Louise was able to recognise the look of abject terror on the young girl's face in the moment before it was quashed and replaced with eager diligence.

"Yes, my lady? How may I help you?" Louise frowned and stopped to stare at Siesta. It was definitely her, yes? The girl had responded to her name so unless she had an identical twin who went by the same name…

"Siesta, it's me. Louise? Louise de la Vallière?" The maid's expression remained fixed in the same rictus of earnest helpfulness without any hint of recognition whatsoever. Louise frowned and didn't miss the almost-flinch from the other girl when she did.

"Yes, Lady Vallière? Do you require something of me?" At first what came to mind was that someone was watching. A quick glance down either hall confirmed that was not the case; they were entirely alone in the hallway.

"Siesta, please; I told you last night to call me Louise when we're alone." Immediately after those words had passed her lips the maid stiffened up and looked at her with an expression of shock, horror and revulsion that was quickly forced into a stiff, neutral stare.

"I am afraid, my lady, I do not know what you might be referring to. If you'll excuse me, I must get on with my work." Before Louise could get out another word in response Siesta had bustled down the hallway and out of sight. Her earlier confusion regarding whether or not those events had really happened rose to the fore; Louise immediately clutched at the Velvet Key in her pocket and yanked it out so that she could confirm its weight in her hand.

There had been blood on her clothes. The key was in her hand. Her Evoker was… actually, hidden in her closet back in her room but she'd put it there just that morning. That had been real. She'd spoken with Theo about it. Yet Siesta hadn't just been pretending not to know her. Not only had she not recognised Louise but she'd also been extremely ill at ease around her despite there being no reason that should be so.

She had to investigate this. Thus, against her better judgement, Louise went to seek out the only person in the school who she trusted to have any idea what was going on.

* * *

 _A tremble ran through the moon as the lock opened and black chains rained from the sky._


	6. Reach Out For Discourse

Even with the door in front of her Louise was unsure about what she intended to do. They'd never been close, quite the opposite, but in light of recent events, surely…? Well, she supposed that she would find out. Her knuckles rapped on the door and a moment later it open with a thick wave of perfume that filled the hall.

"Oh, Ajax, you're earl-" Kirche's words died in her throat as she saw Louise standing there with an indignant look on her face. They stared at each other for a moment; the taller one with shock and the shorter with a vague sort of contempt due to the fact that the other girl was dressed in nothing but her undergarments and her loosely-hanging school cloak.

The door slammed shut and Louise could hear frantic movement inside for the next half a minute before it was flung open again. This time Kirche was properly dressed and a little more flushed than before. "Louise! What a, uh, pleasant surprise! Was there, ah, something you needed?" Louise leaned to the side and looked past Kirche into the room beyond; lit by floating candles and with rose petals scattered about near the bed.

"... yes, actually." She turned her gaze from the room back to its nervous owner. "You are well acquainted with the rumors and gossip in the school." It wasn't really a question, but Kirche nodded nervously anyway. "And while I have let certain matters go, I think we can both agree that you _owe me_ , Zerbst." Again, Kirche nodded nervously. Louise sighed.

"Oh, do relax, Kirche. I'm not about to extort you. I just need your help. Believe me, I don't like this any more than you do." That, at least, caused the Germanian girl to crack a smile. She visibly relaxed; leaning against the door post in a far more usual fashion for her.

"Well, that's a relief, Vallière! I was worried you were about to extort me for one of my darlings!" Louise groaned but a small smile ghosted across her face in spite of herself. Having Kirche act so firmly out of character was sufficiently disconcerting that it was nice to see her act like her old self. "Alright then. What do you need, exactly?" Louise rested one elbow in her hand and tapped her cheek with the other.

"I need to know about other people in the school who are… like I was. People who are… hurting. You understand?" Kirche's expression turned grave as she nodded slowly. "Otherwise, I want you to find out if there's anyone who has had trouble sleeping the past two weeks. Maybe had weird dreams or been waking up at odd times."

This particular request elicited an odd look from the Germanian that Louise ignored for now. "And one more thing, actually. Has there been… any incidents involving the servants lately?" That question received an even stranger look than the last; albeit one tinged with visible confusion."

"Well, I wouldn't really know, Louise. The staff are, well… the _staff._ I'm certainly abreast of…" She paused her explanation suddenly with a thoughtful expression dawning on her face. " _Actually_ , there was one thing. Do you remember that inspector person who came to the school?" Louise shook her head. She recalled nothing of the sort. "Oh, well, a few days after... _that_ incident… a representative of the Crown came. The Tristanian one, of course, not mine!"

Kirche's chuckle at what she no doubt thought to be her witty observation died under Louise's withering stare. "Ahem. In any case, he spoke to Old Osmond in private. Your… I mean, Duchess Vallière as well. You didn't know?" She was not, in fact, aware of this at all. Perhaps her mother had chosen to keep it from her, for her peace of mind.

"What has this to do with my question, Zerbst?" Her tone was icy, but Kirche perked up regardless as she was reminded as to what ought have been the point of her response.

"Ah, yes! _Well_ , I have it on good authority that when he left the school he took one of the maids with him! But then she returned to the school after only a week." There was a small, awful 'click' in Louise's mind as pieces fell together for her. "It was such a _scandal!_ Although, afterwards I was able to get a date with this _delicious_ third year boy by talking about how much I hated inconstant men, and how _loyal_ and _noble_ he was, and the-"

"Yes, that is quite enough of _that_ , Zerbst, thank you. I've heard all I care to. You will find out about those other things I asked? Or will you be too _distracted?_ " Rather than showing any shame, like she ought to, the bigger girl just laughed and Louise had to dodge back out of malicious hug range.

"Oh, dear Louise, you're still as sharp as ever! I'll ask around and get back to you. Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm expecting _company_ soon… although, you're _welcome_ to sta-" Louise had slammed Kirche's own door in her face, somehow, before she could even finish her ridiculous taunt.

Her thoughts darkened as she made her way through the halls. Despite what Kirche's taunts might suggest Louise wasn't ignorant to the ways of men and women. She knew what must have happened. You heard stories of it all the time… well, at least she'd read a few now and then. Not a lot of them! Just one or two. Star-crossed lovers, forbidden romance between noble and servant… of course, there was a reason such things just did not happen in real life.

Clearly Siesta had become enamoured with this man and followed him to his estate only to find he was... perhaps married, or somesuch. Mayhaps he'd even courted her affections in spite of that. That must be why the poor girl was so bitter about Louise's kindness towards her. Well, it was her own fault in any case. Besides which, it did not explain her earlier blankness on the topic of last night.

All of which assumed that Siesta was the girl in question. Perhaps it had been one of her little friends and she was bitter at being abandoned? That would make sense as well. She could ask the girl later tonight. For now, she went to see her mother.

* * *

Cattleya was in their mother's rooms again. She was seated in one of the comfier chairs in the main room with fabric in hand when Louise entered. The shape behind her face was there still. A dead-eyed rictus of frozen pain behind her smile.

"Good morning, Louise. How are you?" In spite of herself, Louise couldn't help but stare. Not just at the mask, but at what Cattleya was doing. She was hand-stitching some sort of pattern on the fabric. There was nothing wrong with that as such, only… she'd never known her sister to be interested in such things.

"Well enough, dear sister. What are you working on?" Louise's heart sank as she saw the mask behind Cattleya's face fracture a tiny bit; with a 'crack' sound that her sister didn't appear to notice. That… she wasn't sure if that was good or bad. She tried not to let it show on her face as she moved over to the chair and peered down at the craftwork.

"Oh, just one of my pets." A sickly smile came across her older sibling's face as she showed Louise the image of a large, fluffy thing that she was still stitching detail into. "They all remained at the estate. My latest healer said that with my health deteriorating it wasn't safe for me to stay around them any more." There was another little crack, and Louise nodded slowly.

"I'm sure father is making sure they're well taken care of." This may have been the wrong thing to say. Cattleya just smiled and nodded and looked down to resume her stitching without another word. Louise wasn't sure what to say. If there even was anything she could say.

"... Is mother in?" She was ashamed of her own cowardice. This was… too much to deal with, here and now. She didn't know enough. Cattleya nodded vaguely, and Louise moved away. "Excuse me then, I must speak with her." Her sister didn't respond as she went to their mother's door and headed into her study.

Within, Karin de la Vallière was seated at her desk with a stack of parchment beside her and an ink pen in hand. She glanced at her daughter but didn't stop writing; so Louise sat on one of the spare seats and waited. Once her mother was done with the sheet she was working on she put it aside and laid the pen down beside the inkwell.

"Louise. Are you well, my dear?" Although her tone was kind her gaze pierced through Louise. Her eyes touched upon every part of her daughter's frame. Perhaps giving the Evoker over to her had been weighing heavily on her mother's mind.

"... well enough. I'm sorry, mother, but there are vitally important matters I must speak with you about. I… scarcely know where to begin." Her mother nodded gravely and turned her chair to give Louise her full attention."

"I shall listen for as long as it takes, Louise. Whatever you have to say to me; I shall hear it." Louise fidgeted in place; her eyes fell to the floor as she sought the words somewhere inside of herself. What was it that Theo had said?

A protective mask. The strength to interact fearlessly with others. Inside of her the Persona looked up as it sensed her thinking about it. This wasn't _her_ Persona, but all the same… if she couldn't talk to her mother about this, how could she face a stranger like Siesta?

"That thing I summoned was… _is_ an entity known as a 'Shadow'. Ordinarily they dwell in a realm apart from ours. It seems, however, I have some kind of fate that connects me to it. That it is why it was summoned in place of my familiar." Karin didn't say anything yet, so Louise was forced to carry on.

"It was a… manifestation of parts of me that I did not wish to face. The darker thoughts that came when… I felt alone. It wasn't… _real_ , but it wasn't _fake_ either." She struggled to summon the right words from within her. Struggled not to look at her mother's face for fear of what she might see in it. "Ever since I came to this school I have struggled to overcome my… natural failings. Sometimes that was harder than others."

Still, Karin said nothing. Louise chanced a look up at her to see that her mother had leaned over on one arm and covered her mouth with her hand. This gave her a distant, yet pensive, air. Louise swallowed heavily and when she spoke again her voice sounded to her as if it came from far away. "Upon fleeing from the creature I briefly found myself elsewhere; face to face with a figure I had only witnessed in a dream. To be clear, I had briefly 'met' them the night before."

Thankfully, her mother did not decry her explanation and simply let it stand. That renewed Louise's confidence some. "His name is Theodore, and I suspect him to be some sort of spirit or possibly a divine messenger. The 'familiar' I ultimately gained from the ritual identified itself as the 'Left Hand of God'; of course, I investigated this phrase in detail but I was unable to find anything in the student library…"

"I have received a letter from Her Majesty's court regarding this." At last, Karin interjected. Her words were like a bolt of lightning that struck Louise down to the very soul and froze her in place. "The spell unleashed by you on that day was visible from Tristania, and the Academy was forced to report the events truthfully." The sound of shifting wood caused Louise to peek up and see that her mother had opened her desk drawer to rifle through it.

When she located the letter she pulled it out and unfolded it on the desk. "Perhaps it is unwise of me to share this information with you, but you are my daughter and it concerns you directly." Louise could see the sigil of the Church of the Founder stamped at the bottom alongside the stamp of the Tristanian Crown.

"The letter is from Primate Mazarin, to be specific. There is, apparently, some connection between the 'Left Hand of God', the entity you summoned, and the secret writings of the church. To that end, he has requested an Inquisitor come to visit the Academy." Karin drummed her fingers on top of the desk while her daughter considered the situation.

Louise was not ignorant of Tristainian politics; her lacking magical skill meant she could not afford to be. If the Inquisitor decided that she was guilty of heresy, or perhaps worse, then things would become extremely awkward for the Vallière family. While the Church lacked official power in Tristain their influence over the Crown was, at present, very high.

"... thank you for telling me, mother. What… do you think I should do?" She looked up at her mother with hope in her gaze. Karin closed her eyes, seemingly lost in thought as her fingertips continued to beat out a rhythm on the desk. Eventually her eyes opened again and resolve shone on her face.

"Do as you will, my daughter! So long as you retain your loyalty to our homeland, I shall support your choices without hesitation. However…" Her expression hardened and a faint apprehension filled the back of Louise's mind. "Make sure this 'Theodore' knows that, regardless of whether he is a spirit or servant of the divine, if he harbours any ill intent towards you I shall **_ruin_** him."

The calm seriousness of her mother's threat was actually somewhat comical to Louise, but she didn't laugh. More than being funny it filled her with an undeniable warmth from the depths of her heart. Karin's features softened once more and she coughed with an air of embarrassment. "Now, tell me more about this familiar of yours, and these 'Shadows'."

Louise did her best to explain what Theo had told her; although some of the more philosophical details were difficult for her to elaborate on. Eventually, with some prompting from her mother, she managed to get across the main details.

Shadows were, at least as far as Louise could articulate and Karin could grasp, essentially a form of hateful spirit born from the dark thoughts of others. Normally they were intangible things that existed outside of the world of Halkegenia, yet very close to it, and had no influence on the world. They stayed in their realm, which was a sort of twisted reflection of the 'real' world.

However, something related to Louise had caused this to change. Or perhaps nothing had changed and Louise was simply aware of it now. Regardless, every night Louise was drawn into this world and, thus far, had encountered only one other human there; although she had only gone to explore once.

All of this brought Karin to a perfectly logical conclusion that, nevertheless, Louise had dreaded from the moment she chose to talk to her mother about this. Once they had gone over the situation a few times to make sure that Karin had it right the older woman had said the very words Louise had been afraid of.

"I only wish I could accompany you into this, this…" Karin paused. They had not precisely decided what to refer to the realm of the Shadows as during the discussion. "... this dark realm. But since it seems I cannot do so, and equally am unable to keep you out of it, I shall have to train you properly so that you might have a chance to survive."

Louise winced, but did not refute her mother's claims. At the very least her familiar might be able to utilise its abilities more frequently if she were to improve her constitution. Likewise, since Theo had described that sword stroke as being a 'physical skill' it seemed the Shadows might be vulnerable to more mundane forms of attack; as ludicrous as it was to consider a land-shaping blow such as that to be _mundane._

"And what of this other who you spoke of? Who are they, and what capabilities do they possess?" At this question Louise hesitated as well. With the odd behaviour Siesta had displayed earlier it seemed unleashing her mother on the poor girl would be a little cruel. However… _lying_ to her mother at this point, or at the very least not telling her, felt very wrong.

"Her name is Siesta; she's one of the Academy's maids. Except, when I spoke to her earlier today she acted like she had no idea what I was talking about. She also seemed… almost afraid of me.." Louise sighed. Their first meeting had not been under the best conditions but after they were safe she'd thought it had gone fairly well until the very end.

"Someone I spoke to mentioned that inspector who came, and I wondered if it might have been relate-" She cut herself off when she saw her mothers expression had transformed from thoughtful to stony in an instant.

" _That_ man, Louise, is a boorish lout not fit for his position, let alone his title. Your father and I have impugned his character on multiple occasions, and with good cause." Karin grit her teeth and all but snarled her words. "However, with His Majesty passing away some years past, and Her Majesty restraining herself from affairs of state, there has been nobody willing to take action against him." She snorted and rolled her eyes.

"Given Church doctrine, the Primate and his supporters don't particularly care, of course; but I still find his behaviour to be unbefitting of a Nobleman of Tristain. Such indecency befouls the very character of our nation." This was all quite a shock for Louise; who had scarcely seen her mother look quite so upset. The tirade ended with a pointed stare down at her daughter who was, even though she was not the true recipient of that ire, thoroughly intimidated.

"If this 'Siesta' has run afoul of the Count de Mott then I cannot blame her for her trepidation. If you desire to help her or, dare I say, _protect_ her then it is essential that you find a way to restore her faith in Nobility." Certainly, Louise wished to keep the girl safe from the predations of the Shadows but that was a tall order given what her mother was suggesting had happened!

"While Nobility may be our birthright, loyalty is our duty. Part of that loyalty is showing the proper respect to the Crown. The Count's cruelty towards those subjects that have been entrusted to him shows his disrespect for his duties as a Nobleman." Those words rang in the air; firm, and filled with purpose.

Pensive, Louise thanked her mother and left; a polite farewell was said to Cattleya on the way out. Back in her room Louise sat on the bed and stared at the Velvet Key as it rested in the palm of her hand. She hadn't shown it to her mother, in the end, and she wasn't sure why. It was far more important than many of the things she had chosen to share and yet…

Louise gripped it firmly as her mother's last statement rang in her mind. The Key was hers, just as the quest, the duty, the _destiny_ was hers. She, Louise de la Vallière, was the one who had been inherited this role. Not her mother. Not her sisters. _Her._ So while she would accept her family's aid with gladness she would not risk having this taken from her.

Which just left her to figure out exactly how to handle Siesta.

* * *

Within a room steeped in azure the young man regarded the cards on the table; three fanned out around one that was left in the middle. Of those, one in particular pulsed with light that grew ever more radiant; the image on it becoming sharper, the colours more vibrant and the shapes that made it up shifting ever so slightly into motion. He reached out, touching it, and an echo filled the room.

The young man listened to the words that hung in the air and smiled to himself. Then he lifted his hand away from the card and let the words fade. After a little while the light shining from the card finally died down; leaving it with just a faint hint of brightness and an odd gilding to the design.

"Quite an interesting turn of events… I can see why my master wanted me to study this incident so closely." His gaze shifted to the central card. The chains across its surface were still there; but one of the links was trembling. A faint golden light could be seen shining from inside of it.

After he watched it for a little longer without any change he swept the cards back together and began shuffling the deck. "And what a fascinating thing that man has made! The question is... will it shape her? Or... will she will shape _it_."

He dealt the cards out again as the ship sailed on through the endless starry night.


End file.
